Ridge-breaker.



No. 693,486, Patentedfb'. 18,49112 .n. BALDRIDGE. RIDGE BREAKER.

(Application filed May 1, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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m: whims PETERS co mowuma. msumm-ou. n. c:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT BALDRIDGE, OF COVINA, CALIFORNIA.

RIDGE-BREAKER.

$EEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,486, dated February18; 1902.

" Application fi ed May I 1901. Serial No. 58.385. (No model.)

T ctZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ROBERT BALDRIDGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Govina, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices toRemove the Ridges Made on Ground which has been Prepared for Irrigation,of which the followingis a specification.

These ridges are made to hold the water, so

.that it may soak into the soil, after which and when the ground hasbecome sufficiently dry to become cultivated these ridges have to beremoved, so that the ground can be cultivated; and the object of myinvention is to provide a device by means of which the removal of theseridges is easily, quickly, and economically effected.

My device is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of my device secured to appropriate running-gear, afragment only of the wheel and axle being shown, the tongue being shownin dotted ject upwardly on both sides of the tongue and aresecurelyplamped thereto by means of clevis G, affording means to adjustthe device on the level desired, the rear end of the device .beingsupported by the depending bolts H, which pass down through suitableholes in'the clip I, secured to the axle of the supporting-Wheels, andthence down through holes h in the hind brace C, and are adj ustable asto elevation by means of the nuts H" on the lower ends of the dependingbolts. The hind brace Gis pivotally secured at each end to lugs E,riveted to the inside of the scraper-wings by bolts D, the front brace 0being composed of two members, each of which is rigidly secured byrivets to the inside of the scraper-wings, one lying above the other,and clamped together in the center by the bolt J, which passes throughboth of them, a longitudinal slot K being provided in the upper memberof the brace O to permit of the proper angular adjustment of thescraper-wings. Rigidly secured to the rear brace O is the centralvertical scraper L.

The ridge-breaker being secured to a cultivator or other appropriaterunning-gear and being properly adjusted, as shown in Fig. 1, it ismoved along over the ridge to be leveled, the cultivator straddling thesame. The scraper-wings will remove all but the central part, leavingthis part of the work to be per.- formed by the central verticalscraper. The bottom of this scraper is adjusted above the elevation ofthe bottom of the scraper-wings and as it moves along will throw thatprojection of the ridge left in the middle which is above the bottom ofthe vertical scraper into the rear of the scraper-wings and partiallyfill up the depressions made by the wings. These scrapers, if properlyadjusted, I have found will level off the ground in very satisfactorymanner. By leaving an opening between the scraper-wings, I have foundthat grass and weeds will not clog the machine, but that the grass andweeds will pass on the outside of the wings or between them and do notclog. The effect of the central opening between the scraper-wingssteadies the device and is to prevent it from running to the right orleft,

away from its work, as I have found by exposing the ridges when thecultivator is moved along the ridge at the speed of a team dinarywork-horses.

Having described my invention, what I of or= claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters 7 Patent, is-

1. In a device to remove ridges made for irrigating purposes, thecombination with suitable running-gear of two side scrapers I providedwith upright supports F, adapted to be clamped one on either side of thetongue of the running-gear; means to clamp the up right supports to thetongue; a front brace, composed of two members projecting inwardly fromthe side scrapers, one member projecting over and along the othermember, the upper member being provided with alongitudinal slot K; ahole in the lower member; a screw-threaded bolt in said hole and in saidslot; a rear brace pivotally connected at either end to the sidescrapers; a central vertical scraper on said rear brace and carriedthereby; and supporting-rods extending from the rear brace toconnections With the axle of the running-gear, substantially as shownand described.

2. Means to remove ridges made on irrigable ground, comprising threescrapers, adap ted to be secured to a cultivator, or other running-gear;two of the scrapers adapted to be clamped to the tongue of thecultivator in advance of the other scraper, one on either side of thetongue, at an angle thereto,'and being spaced apart at their forwardends, as shown, the side scrapers having a depression along thelongitudinal center thereof, and being adjustable as to angle; a braceextending from one forward scraper to the other; a third scrapervertically mounted upon and carried by said brace.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 23d day of April, 1901.

ROBERT BALDRIDGE.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY T. HAZARD, MATTIE HOGINNISJ

